


Shades of Blue

by mylifeisloki



Category: Actor RPF, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Hiddlesworth, M/M, based on a tumblr prompt, until you meet your soulmate, where everything is black and white
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-21 01:14:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2449886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylifeisloki/pseuds/mylifeisloki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where everything is black and white until you touch your soulmate, the assumption is that when you see colors, the other person will see them too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shades of Blue

**Author's Note:**

> ...I'm so sorry.

All it took was one handshake. Tom had walked into Ken's home that day expecting to meet a colleague, a co-star, maybe even a friend. What he got, however, was an explosion of color that left him breathless, looking around him like he'd never seen anything so beautiful-- and he hadn't. So distracted by the colors, he'd barely heard Chris say his name and how nice it was to meet him.

“Yeah,” he answered in a slow breath, finally dragging his gaze back to meet a pair of beautiful blue eyes-- the eyes of his soulmate, the first important things he'd ever seen. “You too.” Pause. “Do you see them too?”

Chris' brow furrowed a little bit and Tom could feel dread pool in the pit of his stomach as the lively colors dancing in his vision mocked him for it. “See what?”

Tom pulled his hand away from Chris in a heartbeat, unconsciously rubbing it over his thigh like he'd touched something he shouldn't have. “Nothing,” he said quickly, shaking his head and pressing on because this was someone he had to work with, someone he needed to have a good relationship with. It would just take some time, that was all.

But months passed and Tom began to lose hope. Every time he touched Chris, it was a reminder that Chris didn't see what he did, that maybe Chris was his soulmate, but he wasn't Chris'. Could it work like that? How could it be so painful to lose someone he'd never had? As time went on, he fell more and more in love with the warm Aussie he'd come to refer to as his best friend, as practically part of his family. But Chris _wasn't_ part of his family and it was becoming more and more clear that he never would be. 

'No,' he'd tell himself. 'No. It'll just take time. Maybe Chris is a late bloomer. The time will come, and he'll see them just like you do.' 

With that one particular hope in mind, Tom did what he could to live his life as usual- and he succeeded. He was happy with Chris, working with a character he loved and beside a man he loved. And Chris was so affectionate towards him, always touching his arm or his neck, smiling and laughing from deep in his chest. Sure, Tom wished he could get closer. He wished he could slip his hands under Chris' shirt and sleep against his chest with colors making his dreams come alive... but it would happen. It had to happen, right? In time.

It was a nice day when Chris pulled him aside and asked him if he wanted to go for a walk. Tom agreed right away, as he did with most things Chris suggested, and off they went. They'd talked about a million and one things by the time they came to a stop near the water and sat down on a bench, at which point Tom just couldn't take it anymore. 

“You look like you might explode if you don't say whatever it is that you need to say,” he teased gently, sensing that Chris was about to open up about something. Was it.. that time? Would he finally tell Tom that he saw colors? That he loved him?

Chris chuckled uneasily and rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head and smiling in that bashful way that Tom just adored. This was it, wasn't it? This was it. He was going to---

“There's this girl,” he said, and Tom's tentative smile totally fell. Luckily, he picked it back up and nodded encouragingly despite the tearing in his chest. “We've been out a few times. I'm in love, you know? She's amazing. She's the one..” 

She. Not him. Tom held back his tears and listened attentively, like a good friend ought to. Because that was all he was- a friend. That was all he'd ever be. 

“The whole world just lights up when she touches me,” he continued, taking a deep breath. “I thought it was all shit, mate. Just a fucking story, but it's real.” He paused and Tom wondered if Chris could hear his heart shattering. “I'm going to ask her to marry me.” 

Tom forced a smile and clapped Chris on the shoulder like he knew he was supposed to. “That's wonderful,” he offered, enthusiastic as ever. Chris deserved that and more. He deserved to be happy. Tom hoped to God that she at least made him happy. “I'm so happy for you, Chris.” 

Chris smiled for real and thumped his hand against Tom's back, pulling him in for a tight, one-armed hug that gave Tom leave to close his eyes over Chris' shoulder. He would be there, always. No matter what. “Thanks, man,” Chris said to him, and it was warm and as bright as the colors that were blurred by the tears in Tom's eyes. 

Tom kept his word. He was there to meet her-- to meet Elsa-- and he hugged her and chatted with her like he wasn't dealing with a knife in his chest each and every time he saw them together. He got on with her. He smiled because he knew it would make Chris happy to see them getting along. He was the perfect best friend in every way he could be.  


He attended their wedding, though he didn't stay for most of the reception, and Tom found himself doing everything in his power to not think about their honeymoon. By the time they came back and the press for _Thor_ began, he was nearly an expert at just being himself without thinking about Chris or how much it hurt to be sitting beside his soulmate and pretending that it was enough to be his friend.  


And Chris had no idea, the poor man. If Tom had been a better person, he might have moved away, given Chris some space... but he was addicted to being beside him, desperate to have all those touches and all that color whenever he could. 

Everything changed at the press conference. They were seated beside one another as usual and Tom was just _itching_ to touch Chris any way he could, but it was actually Chris who clapped him on the shoulder at some point, giving Tom the flash of color he'd wanted.

But Chris' hand didn't move away. Luckily, Ken was talking about something or other and that left Tom to turn and look at Chris, tilting his head to the side in confusion. It took him a minute, but based on the way Chris' face had paled, the way his hand wasn't moving, the way he was looking into Tom's eyes like he'd never _really_ seen them before...

"Oh, God," he whispered. "You see them too." 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
